Lantern-holder



(No Model.)

F. G. STBPHENSON.

Lantern Holder Y No. 234,500. Patented Nov. I6, |880.

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LANTERN-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 234,500, dated November 16, 1880.

Application filed September 22, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK G. STE- PHENsON, of Blainville, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lantern-Holders, of which the followingis a specification.

My improvement relates to lantern-holders which are designed to be permanently secured to the under side of a wagon-body, and, when not in use for holding a lantern, to be folded up out ofthe way and practically out of sight.

The objects of my improvement are to enable it to be used as above stated, also to hold the lantern securely and at the same time not too stittly in place, and to enable the device to be constructed at a small cost. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure lis afront elevation with lantern attached. Fig. 2 is a side elevation without the lantern and with one arm folded up, and

Fig. 3 is an under-side view with one arm folded and with the other arm thrown outward or half-way folded.

A designates the under side of a wagonbody, to which the base B is permanently secured by means of screws, or in any proper manner. This base is provided with two hooks, a a, two ear-pieces or lugs, b b, and a central slotted stud, c.

Folding arms C C are hung to the iiat sides of the lugs b b by means of a pintle, on which they swing. These arms are jointed near the middle of their length by means of pins d and suitable stops e, Fig. l, which form a stophinge-that is, a joint which will prevent the outer member of the arms C C from folding outward7 but will allow it to be folded inward. The ends'ot the arms C C are provided with fingers j', which partially embrace the tubes D D or the braces upon the sides of the lantern.

A spring, g, is placed on the slotted post, and a yoke, E, is placed within the slot of said post and under the spring, with its two ends extending sidewise over the ends of the arms C C, so as to bear constantly against said arms under the influence of the spring g. The ends of the arms C C are so shaped that an outer corner comes in contact with the yoke E when (No model.)

they are unfolded ready for use; and as the arms are spread apart the spring g exerts a constant tendency to throw them inward toward each other, as shown in Fig. 1.

The weight of the lantern is principally supported by means of the hooks a a, upon which the lantern is hung, and the spring-actuated arms extend downward by the side of the lantern to steady it.

In order to detach the lantern, the arms C are swung outward into a horizontal position, as shown at the right-hand side of 3, when the lantern can be unhooked from the hooks a a and removed. The outer ends of the arms are then folded inward, as shown at the left of Fig. 3, the top of Fig. 2, and as indicated by broken lines in Fig. l.

Stops 7L h limit the inward folding motion of the outer ends of the arms C, while the back of the hooks a a (which are somewhat elastic) are placed in the path of the outer ends of the arm, so that when said ends are forced into positionthey will be retained in place by the back of the hooks, as shown in Fig. 2. The device can remain in this folded position until it is desired to secure a lantern thereto, when the arms can be unfolded and the lantern attached in the manner hereinbefore explained.

I am aware that a prior lantern-holder has been made with hooks for supporting alantern and a rod which extended downward through a hole in the base of the lantern to retain it against lateral displacement, which rod was hinged so that it might be set either in a horizontal or vertical position, the construction being such that whenever the rod and hooks acted conjointly to support the lantern the rod must be inserted in the hole in the base before the lantern can be hung ou the hooks, and I hereby disclaim said lanternholder.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination ofthe base B, hooks a a for supporting the weight of the lantern, and the spring-actuated arms C C for stcadying the lantern on the hooks, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination of the base B, hooks a a, and folding arms C C, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination of the base B, having l slotted post c,tho spring g, yoke E, and hingedy position, `substauitiaily as described, and for lMms C C, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

, the purpose specified. ,w

4. The combina-tion of Jche base B, bearing- FREDLRIGK G' SLEPHENSON' 5 lugs b b, folding arms C C, and the hooks a a, Vithesses:

having their backs in the path of lf/he folding HIRAM V. HARRIS,

arms and acting to hold them in their folded JAMES SHEPARD. 

